The Only Way Out
by 4TnT
Summary: yet another way to fix that finale, this one has an interesting solution...


**The Only Way Out**

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own any of Star Trek: Enterprise…if I did, it would still be on the air.

A/N: This starts during TATV, but then goes completely OOC. Just one of my many scenarios to fix the finale.

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T'Pol had never felt so alone, so desolate and useless. She was walking towards Trip's quarters to pack up his things for his family. The Captain had seemed to understand that she would need the alone time to process things.

As she walked through the door she was greeted with the all too familiar smell of Trip. Her Trip. The smell almost gave her physical pain, a kind of hollowness that made her want to wrap her arms around her slight frame and sink into a corner somewhere. She looked around the room at the things that were so familiar to her yet so foreign. The picture that she had never asked about. The small figurine that she had wondered about. As she packed up his things, she took time with each one. Some had memories, others had only regrets that she knew nothing of them. Finally she got to his uniform. She pressed her face into it and started to cry. It amazed her how much feelings and impressions could change over only ten years. when she had first come aboard Enterprise she had not even wanted to touch Trip, and the smell of him revolted her; now it was all she could do not to lay here for hours just breathing in his wonderful smell. Strange how that works.

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T'Pol had run countless scenarios through her mind over the last couple of days. She thought maybe they could contact the time traveler they had met, or use the cloning alien they had used before when Trip was dying. Each solution presented a problem though, and finally she could not escape that it was over. All of her chances at a new start or righting the wrongs had been taken from her in a split second.

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As T'Pol was finishing the packing, Archer opened the door and stepped in.

"How are you doing? Has the pain gone down any?"

"I am doing as well as can be expected in the circumstances. How is the rest of the crew?"

"They're okay. Sort of lost for words. Probably in shock."

" I expect that it will take a great deal of time to fill Trip's place on board…"

"Mmm…I actually came to see if I would needing to be filling your place too. I wasn't sure if you would want to deal with the memories here, or if you would want to be near friends."

"I have been wondering the same thing myself. I believe that I would like to stay here with the crew. I am sure the High Council would not object."

"Are you sure? I mean, obviously I would love to have you stay here. Things are going to be hard as it is, but if you can't deal with the surroundings I would understand."

"Yes, I am sure. The memories might prove difficult for a while, but I believe that…'time heals all wounds'."

"Good. I'm glad I wont have to lose you too…I would like you to go to Phlox though. You should be able to get some kind of emotional stabilizer. We're all going to need one."

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T'Pol started making her way to Sickbay, and she realized just how shaky she was. She had spent the last two days in her quarters or in the mess hall where she could be around people. She was still having trouble focusing, and she hoped that Phlox would have something that solved many of her problems. When she looked up to figure out how to get to sickbay, she realized she had wandered to the exact place on the ship that she did not want to be. It was right outside the terminal where Trip had ended his life to save so many others. Greif overtook her and she felt her world go black as she slowly fell to the floor.

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**A/N:** well what did you think??.. I love reading reviews, they are what I write for!! So let me know what you think and sit tight for the next chapter! I have more of a plot starting in the next chapter, this was just an intro to set things up. :)


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